Vehicle-headlight.



CLAYTON F. ACBONL),

VEHCLE-HEDLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Patented sept. 19.1916.-

Application ie January 21, .1916. Serial No. 73,345.

the reflector in the .h eadlight,l whereby the heam ot light may hedirected either s raight ahead. or downwardly or upwvaroly to meetvarying needs. This impro ed means is operable and oontrolal'ilepreferablyby eleotrical instrinnent-alities, including an electricswitch loeated at the steeringwheel or seat of the driver of thevehicle, and the device is. also capableof being manipulated by afinger-gripping device arranged at the side of. each lai'np-orheadlight.

.ln' the aoeompany-ing drawings, Figure l. is al sectional View of aqheadlightembodying my improvement, and Fig. '2 is'a similar view showingthe reflector tilted to direct the beam of light upwardly.. Fig. 3..-isa plan view and section oli-substantially the horizontal center of Fig.1, and Fig. 1 is a. cross section and rear elevation on line lv-4, Fig.li

lho headlight or lamp coniprises a shell or easingT 2 ha ving a cover rdoor-'3 at itsA front adapted to lie removed or opened. and carrying theusual'lens or plateof glass L A parabolic` :'eliei'tor 5 ispivotallysupported within easingr by pivot pins or screws A(S, located preferablyopposite one another on the horizontal diagonal line of the casing andremovably mounted in vthe annular flange 7 at the front-endofxsaidcasing so that the reflector and interior working parts may lioconveniently assembled and dises semliled. The reflector carries theusual electric light S in a socket *ll at its center and rea r, and thespace in the easing behind theretieetor is utilized' to house myin'iproved mechanism for tilting the reflect-or. This mechanism consistsof a rati. wheel l0 mounted on a rotatable shaft ll having hearing in astandard l?, atiixed to the l ottom atone side of the vertical centereasing .2 and the said shaft extends through one side of the easing, seeFig. Land has a head or v finger gripping member l at its end wherebythe ratchet-Wheel may be turned lotion without stop .or-interinissiox'is when the erank rod l5 1s a'red-aQoss .(downivardly inclined) tov Apolition (upwardly inclined),

the reflector ste-p liy steelt-honour and set in any predeterminedposition.' -A snort cranlc'vrod 'l5 is pivotally connected at itslopposite erds toratchetwlieeli() and a.-

lng or ear 1G at the. bottomfof reflector 5, whereby any rotativemovement lof' the ratchet `u-'heel will cause `a ooi-responding tiltingof the rei-lector., A stop pau-'l 17 pvotally mounted upon standard l2engages the top of rat-cnet wheel l0, and a coiled spring 1S connectedwith the retieetor' and an adjusting and fastening sorew 19 atftliebottoni of easing provides a ,eonstaritfpull on crank rod l5 to holdtheJ ratchet' (teeth of. wheel 1Q in stop' engagement with pawl 17, andthe spring;r also takes up all 'looseliiesfs'of the parts and prevents`noise and rattle. There :ileso a time when thel jspring;rotatesv theratohet-.wheela tallone-half.

` and4 tha the dead center of Said wheel on an' upward movement thereof,theijehy, .tiltili g" the. re# fleetor instantly fromone extremeposition other extremezlsfftllnattd in dotted lines, Ffg'. Land fulllines' Flo. 2. On the other hand when. the.i refleotor is tilted iniwardly as shown Ainf-Fig. 2,-

hy-step rotation of ratohet wheellQi degree of theinclined.posironsfassumed by the :iL-Hector being dependent upon`tlieunumber ofv ratchet teeth and ,radial v nioi, ments of wheel l0 asitl rotates intermittently throughout one-halt' of `a''revolutioncarryiniDr the crank rod to the righbfrolm the starting position' shownin Fig. 2.. Xl/fork ing the present ratehetirheel in this way,

an advance of one tooth will lower thebeamV of light slightlybutvitvwillgstill `be projected upwardly. .The advanC/egof a. secondtooth will .plaeethe` reflector-1n a central position a5 shown in, lfulllines,r Fig. 1A and project the beam of light-1 straight ahead. The nexttooth advanced-will tilt the reflector to direct the light downwardly,and a furthermovement of one tooth ot wheel 10 will aug-ment thisdownward tilting and place' the reflector and its crank rod in theposition shown in dotted lines, Fig. l. 'This latter position places theCrank rod slightly below the dea-d Cellter of thrust; therefore, furtherrotationvf wheel l0 will carry the crank pinv across engage the ratchetteeth, thefr'ee end of saidarm having' loose pivotal engagement 'orlinked connection with the lower end of the movable core of an electricmagnet 23 mounted upon standard 12. The coil of this magnet is connectedin a battery circuit 24 having a lsuitable switch .55 tozclose the same,and when the coil is energized thc core is lifted and the ratchet wheelrotated the distance ofone tooth. In this way the operator of thevehicle may change the position of the reflector instantly to throw thebeam of light variously as required, as upward in hill climbing andreading elevated signs, or straight ahead for throwing the beam of lightthe maximum distance ahead on a. level with the road,wor downward `in ldifferent degree for dimmingpurposes, that is toremove theflaringeffects of-the horizontal beam of light. Two headlights are usedgenerally, and these maybe operated independently/for jointly, dependentupon the manner in which the electrical connections are made as must beobvious to those skilled in the ,electrical art. For example; eachmagnet e'olinay be electrically connected in 'a separate circuit or inseries in the .saine battery circuit. "The handle inemher It alsoperilriits imlependent .operation and setting, a i'iiatter ofconvenience'when the driver happens`tn he on 'the groimd at the front oftlie'rmacliine, and of advantage when the electrical circuit is ont ofworking order. u

1. v!\ head-light casing, a reflector mount ed to tilt within saidcasing, crank and ratchet iiieclianism and `aispring to tilt saidreflector, and electrical iiitruiiientalitics to operate said mechanismintermittently.

4. A head-light casing and a tilting reflector therein, and ratchetmechanism having an operating shaft extending through said casing and acrankconnection with sa id reflector.

il.' lii al head -liglit. a tilting reflector. ratchet mechanism havingan operating shaft. for nia'iltlal control and a crank connection withsaid ccflcctirr` and auxiliary electrical operating means for saidratchet mechanism having a controlling switch.

J.. In a headlight, a tilting reflector, a. ratchet wheel, a rodconnected in crank re.- lations with said wheel and engaged with saidreflector to tilt the same, a stop pawland a spring to co-act with saidwheel in tilting and setting said reflector, and means to operate saidratchet wheel and crank con nections.

5. In a head-light, a tilting reflector, a ratchet wheel and crankconnections and 'a vspring to tilt said reflector, and an electricalpower device and associate mechanism to ro- 'tate said ratchet wheelintermittently, in

combination with ail-electrical Acircuit an( means to energize saidelectrical device.

(. In a head-light, a tilting reflector, a

spring, a crank and ratchet wheelhaving 8. A head-light having ainaiirreflectorT crank-mechanism to tilt-said reflector in a step bystep movement and electrical means to actiiate said mechanism.

v9. A head-lightdiaiing'a main reflector adapted to tilt on fixed sidepivots and a; Alamp fixed to tilt therewith,,ratchet mechanism. to tiltsaid reflect-orv tovariable set positions and electrical means to.operate said mechanism.

v ltl. head-light having :i main reflector supported on opposite |ii\ots..cranl\" and ratchet wheel mechanism and a connecting rod between saidparts and said rcllcrtoi to tilt the reflector, and 'electrical iiicanslo operate said mechanism"having a controlling switch. f

ll. A head-light casingqind a tilting iiiaiii lcllcctor iiiolliitcdtherein-.oli sidc |\i\'`v ots at its front. "rank and ratchet. mccliavnisiii and :i spring adapted to ti'ltsaid re` flcctor on said pivots. incombination \\itli electrical mcans to operate said niccliacsisni.

lii tcstinioii v whereof l :illix iiiy .sigiviiutlli't in presence oftwo witnesses.

lrtltl ,Ilov

